Traveling is great, until you realize you need to find ways to get through long haul flights. You can reach sunnier shores, explore new cultures, and drink a whole host of bizarre cocktails that your liver probably doesn't want to handle. All of this, however, comes with a catch: sometimes you need to find ways to get through long haul flights. When the excitement dims and you find yourself sat between a snoring traveler and an angry toddler, despair can soon set in. However, there are ways you can beat boredom and make it to the other side unscathed.
I feel as though we have lost the art of conversation a little in today’s modern world, which is why talking is one of my favorite ways to get through long haul flights. We are in such a rush to find something to keep us entertained, we don’t pay attention to what is around us. If you are traveling with someone, talk to them. Don’t squirm at the idea of talking to strangers. Once, on a flight to Accra, I got talking to a guy who used to be Tony Blair’s personal secretary. Okay, so Tony Blair isn’t my favorite Prime Minister, but this guy did have some great stories to tell.
Kindles are so cheap these days, it is a shame not to own one! Also, there are so many people wanting to break into the ebook market you can easily find a bunch of great books for free. Before you fly, check out some literary classics and download them. Books over a certain age are free, like Wuthering Heights, the Great Gatsby, Great Expectations etc. Then make your way over to various categories and download books that are on offer for free. You never know, you might discover something seriously awesome when you begin reading.
Your circulation is going to get sluggish during a flight. Especially the circulation in your legs! Sluggish circulation means slower oxygen perfusion and waste removal, which in turn makes you tired. When you are tired, boredom feels so much worse. I hate flying, so walking around a plane isn’t exactly my favorite thing to do. However, doing it every hour or so stops my ass from feeling numb, my legs feel less twitchy, and sometimes I manage to get free wine from the cabin crew. Bonus! I suspect this only happens because I look nervous and they fear for my sanity.
Unless the company you fly with is fantastic, the chances are the in-flight entertainment will look a bit dire. However, you can treat this as a great opportunity to discover something new. If it hadn’t have been for a short-haul flight back from the Canary Islands, I never would have discovered Moulin Rouge. Now hardly a year goes by without me blubbering over Christian and Satine. On the flipside, once flying back from Bulgaria I watched a mind-numbingly boring film that — I think — was entirely in Polish. You never know how this one will go.
Yep, that’s right, break out your laptop/notepad/iPad and write a book. There is a whole group of people who attempt to write their books in a day. These individuals do so under the Katharine Susannah Prictchard Writers' Centre. Okay, so the books are like 8,000 words long, which is about the size of an essay, however, there's no reason why you can't get your creative juices flowing and turn it into something better later.
I feel slightly hypocritical suggesting this, because I never sleep on flights. However, most people I know somehow manage this. As far as I can tell, there are a few things that can help you achieve a mid-flight nap. First, accept all offers of gin. Second, bring your own pillow or somehow blag a kids’ one from the cabin crew. Third, close your eyes and hope for the best. Even trying to nap can wipe an hour or so off your flight time.
I can’t live without my Spotify playlists. Before I flew to Accra last year, I created one that was 30 hours long and downloaded the whole thing. The longer a playlist is, the better. While the long play list worked well for me, long haul flights really do call for lists that work with different moods. Trust me, being able to turn to Einaudi and the like when you need to calm your nerves is a blessing if you’re a nervous flier like I am!
Staying entertained in the air is usually only an issue if you anticipate the process being dull. Like anything in life, the more you dread the process, the worse it usually is. If/when boredom does start to kick in, start looking forward to the week or so that you have away. A long haul flight is such a small inconvenience for having an amazing vacation! Which of these do you plan to do on your next long haul flight?